ROUND THE STATES

New Delhi, 8 February 2006

Lakhs of Bogus Voters

OPERATION CLEAN-UP IN WEST BENGAL

By Insaf

The voters list of West Bengal is slowly turning out to be an outrageous scandal in India’s electoral history, thanks to the Election Commission’s tireless screening of the electoral rolls.  As many as 9.89 lakh bogus voters have been struck off the rolls after the Commission’s 19-member team of observers, headed by K.J. Rao of Bihar fame, exhaustively combed the list across the State. On-the-spot verification revealed that the list included the names of as many as 2.22 lakh persons who are no more. Equally shockingly, the remaining 7.67 lakh persons were found non-existent. Maximum number of bogus voters have reportedly been recorded in Burdwan and Nadia districts.

Despite the deletion of so many names, the fresh list may see an increase of 2.33 lakh voters–from 4.81 crore in 2004 to 4.92 crore.  In fact, the rolls would have swelled further but for the EC team’s strict vigil. Of the 44 lakh applications seeking entry into the voters’ list, about 23 lakh bogus names tried to creep into the list on the basis of fake ration cards, which political agents secured from district ration offices with the connivance of officials.  The drastic changes in the electoral rolls have constrained the CEC to extend the date of publication of the final list by a week, from February 15 to 21. The State’s Chief Electoral Officer had recommended the extension in view of the flood  of applications received for inclusion in the rolls.

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E-Rolls In Poll-Bound States

Interestingly, the Election Commission used a software package to clean up the list of voters.  Called “E-Rolls Cleaning”, which was used on an experimental basis in Bihar last year, the software package is in-house technology which enables the Commission to delete the names of those who figure in the rolls more than once and of those who have shifted or died. Once the software throws up duplicate voters, the Commission gets the names verified on the ground to see if they are duplicates.  The ground verification exercise is still continuing in West Bengal and more bogus voters may be detected in the next few days.  In Bihar, the software technology detected about 18 lakh bogus voters. 

The Election Commission has now decided to use the “E-rolls cleaning” technology in all the States, starting with such States where Assembly polls are due in the next two to three months: Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Kerala and Assam.  These elections are crucial for the UPA Government at the Centre, especially in Kerala and Assam where the Congress is presently ruling. The Union Government has therefore, planned a publicity blitz to highlight its “achievements”. An official circular has directed all the Union Ministries to spotlight the UPA Government’s “hits” in the five States.  Important projects like the National Urban Renewal Mission and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme will head the poll pitch.

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Poll Sops Raining

Sops are raining in the poll-bound southern States of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, as never before. In fact, the “benevolence” which the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, the Anna-DMK, is showing even looks like a “drama”.  In a sudden bout of kindness, Chief Minister Jayalalitha has reinstated nearly 10,000 workers dismissed by her Government in 2002.  Not only that.  She has even agreed to pay them three months’ salary as ex-gratia payment. Earlier, the Chief Minister distributed free dictionaries and atlases to 1.24 lakh school children, at a cost of Rs.2.17 crore, to help them improve their English and geography.  Not long ago, she distributed bicycles to students, donated foodgrains in temples, churches and mosques, much to the chagrin of the Opposition.  

In Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Government, headed by Oommen Chandy, is not lagging behind. It has announced a scheme for the BPL (below poverty line) families, under which each of them will be given 25 kg. of rice at Rs.3 per kg.  The Chief Minister has also reversed an earlier hike in power tariff. That will cost the Government about Rs.400 crore.  Chandy has also forced the UPA Government at the Centre to keep on hold a decision to reduce food subsidy. This will affect the food bill, what with the Union Government now forced to import 5 million tonnes wheat. The Centre has also stepped up its efforts to promote tourism in the State and allocated Rs.48 crore for the development of tourist spots. Special funds are also been provided for the proposed International Hospitality Institute at Alappuzha and Ayurved Resort and Herbal Garden at Vagamon.

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New Government in Karnataka

Karnataka’s new JD(S)-BJP coalition Government took off last week with a bang. Both Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and the Deputy CM B.S. Yediyurappa of the BJP have promised to make the State No.1 in the country in development. What is more, both have jointly committed at a meeting with senior officers of the State Government that they will eschew links with politicians in the matter of law and order and crime. They have sought full cooperation of the Secretaries to the Government in making the new coalition truly a model.  Kumaraswamy candidly told the Press at his first conference: “If we make mistakes, please pull us up. If we do something right, please encourage us with a pat on the back.”  The Chief Minister, at 46, is virtually a novice in politics and governance.  But his statements hold out hope that he means business from day one.

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Muslim Communalism In Manipur

Muslim communalism is raising its ugly head aggressively in Manipur.  The All Manipur Muslim Students’ Organisation (AMMSO) disrupted normal life in several parts of the State the other day when they organized a 36-hour general strike, demanding ten per cent reservation in Government services.  The State Government had earlier rejected their demand.  The strike was complete in Muslim-dominated areas. The Muslim students also boycotted examination for the selection of one hundred posts in the State Civil Service and Manipur Civil Service. The State Government has clarified that the Muslim students’ demand has been rejected on the ground that reservations in appointments and promotions already exist for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the OBC groups which cover the Muslim candidates.

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Centre-ULFA Peace Talk

Efforts have been initiated once more to buy peace with the outlawed ULFA in Assam.  The Centre has undertaken to roll out some confidence building measures (CBMs) to ensure direct Centre-ULFA peace talks. The Centre’s CBMs include a close look at the alleged human rights violations by the security forces and release of some ULFA militants in Assam jails.  This decision was taken at a meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday last between the eleven-member Peoples’ Consultative Group (PCG) and the National Security Advisor, M.K. Narayanan. However, the meeting did not touch the crucial twin issues of sovereignty and stoppage of military operations against the rebel cadres which the ULFA leadership has been demanding.  This continues to cast a dark shadow on peace talks. 

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Hizbul’s Fund Manager Held

There is no respite from militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.  Banned outfits like the Hizbul Mujahideen are spreading their tentacles across the country.  The latest is the arrest in Delhi last week of a Dubai-based businessman, acting as Hizbul’s conduit.  The arrested person, one Nazir Safir Mir, was found in possession of Rs.55 lakh of hawala money, two kg of explosive RDX, a timer, a detonator and a pistol.  The money and the material was meant for the militant outfit and some separatist leaders in J&K.  The businessman, according to the Special Cell of Delhi Police, was carrying the consignment to be passed on to a terrorist in Kashmir. The police has discovered that Nasir was engaged in money exchange business in Dubai and was a “fund manager” for the Hizbul Mujahideen.

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)